Lloyd:
Don't let me scare you away from the IWS. They are a great breed and it would be good for the breed to see more of them in the duck blind. I just wanted to let you know it will be a challenge to find a field bred one.
More than one breeder in the UK has told me that they fear the breed is dying out. This is a reason why they import dogs from the USA. Many breeders here want their dogs in the field because they believe in the hunting heritage and history. Sadly, most buyers want them as pets or companion dogs.
I had a little male IWS pup that I was taking care of while the owner recovered from surgery. Just for fun, I started taking him to the pond for informal fun training. At about 12 weeks old I had him retrieving to hand from both land and water, and with no training he was sitting at the whistle and would look out over the water when he heard the duck call. It was tough to give him back. He had solid field breeding on one side, and show breeding on the other. Can only imagine how he would have been if I could have spent more time with him. Owner doesn't hunt. Anyway, I was very impressed with how smart he was.
Like ball players, the smart ones get better.
